Unlikely Couple
by Laree
Summary: A Hoto-Tasuki fic, While drunk Tasuki confesses to Chichiri about his secret relationship with the Emperor Hotohori
1. Default Chapter

Unlikely Couple Part One   
  
  


  
Unlikely Couple   
Part One   
By: Laree McKenzie   
Please send all comments to lareemackie@hotmail.com 

I know. The concept of a Hotohori-Tasuki fic is a little strange but for some reason, I've always wondered what they would be like as a couple, maybe 'cos they're two of my most favorite characters in FY ( the other being Suboshi! ), maybe I'm just really twisted but the concept of a Mountain Bandit and an Emperor together really really appealed to me! I don't know how this is gonna turn out, It might really stink for all I know, ( And it probably will ) so I would really appreciate comments. Anyways...What else? Umm...I guess you can say that this will sorta be yaoi-ish but nothing too hard-core. I'm horrible at writing love scenes, when I do try they make me laugh. lol. 

By the way, if you want to read my other FY fic it is in my site [here][1]

Chichiri sighed as he looked down upon the mess of empty sake bottles that lay scattered on the table in front of his friend. Though he was used to seeing Tasuki sloshed with liquor more often than not, he couldn't recall ever having witnessed him in such a state, his shoulders hunched in defeat, his amber eyes trained on the table top, tears occasionally rolling down his cheeks. " Tasuki-kun? Tasuki-kun? That's enough, no da." as he spoke, Chichiri took him by his slim shoulders and shook him gently. When that had no effect, he tried to force the bottle he held from his hands but Tasuki would have none of it and just tightened his grip even more, his knuckles turning white with the effort. 

Finally, he spoke. " D'ya know what day it is, Chiri?" 

" What day it is, no da? Well, Tasuki-kun, I believe it's Saturday..." The monks voice trailed off as he was pulled down unceremoniously beside the bandit who seemed to lose more of his senses as he sank deeper and deeper into his cups. He guessed that that wasn't the answer that he had been looking for. 

He sighed. " You forgot. But that's okay. I didn't expect yah ta remember it since you've always got so much on your mind, but me...He's been on mine constantly ever since that time up in Mount Reikaku." 

" Wait. I don't understand, no da. What did I forget? Who are you talking about?" Chichiri became more and more worried as he watched his friend's face working to keep his tears at bay. He would have liked to go up to the room that they had rented for the night to talk, at least there they would be able to have some privacy and he would be able to tend to Tasuki, unlike down here in the Inn's bar. " Tasuki-kun let's-" 

The depth of sorrow that Chichiri saw in Tasuki's eyes touched him deeply, making him wish that he could do something to alleviate whatever it was that was his friend's problem. He felt responsible for Tasuki now, him being the elder of the two of the Suzaku Shichiseishi who remained in this world. " Chiri-kun. It's been a year. A whole year since Ho- since Emperor Hotohori died in the battle field. Can...can you believe it? It seems longer than that..." 

Gods. How could he have forgotten such a thing? Horrified that he hadn't included the Emperor's spirit in his prayers that day, Chichiri immediately took hold of his prayer beads and began to mumble a supplication for the happy rebirth of the man that he had admired so much. 

" How did yah meet him, Chichiri?" 

First he would tend to Tasuki, later the prayers, he decided upon the younger seishi's interruption. He would be able to concentrate on them more anyway in their room. " Well, as I recall it, it was in the throne room in the Palace, no da. Tamahome, Miaka and I had just returned from Taiitskun's place after we retrieved the Miko from Kutou, no da. He...was very happy to see the Maiden back safe." 

Tasuki snickered. " You would think the guy's ass was on fire whenever it came ta stuff about ole Miaka. Wonder how she and Tama are gettin' along? Anyways, as I said, we were up in Mount Reikaku when I first saw him. Had that fucking sword of his on my throat 'cos I made the mistake of kidnapping the little idiot. He was crazy about her. But not half as crazy as I was about him, I don't think..." 

It was times like these that he wished he hadn't listened to Tasuki about not wearing his mask anymore. Though he tried to contain the surprise that he felt at this unexpected pronouncement, he knew that it was painfully evident on his face. He had never expected this. Of course, he had known about his friend's preferences for a while now and none of that really mattered to him since it had no bearing whatsoever on what kind of person the bandit was, but he had never said anything about feelings for the Emperor, funny how they still thought of Hotohori as the Emperor even though he had been gone a year to this day. 

" Yah think I'm a freak, huh?" Tasuki asked, noting the stunned expression on his friend's face. 

" No. Just...taken by surprise, no da." Chichiri reassured him. Thinking that he also needed a drink to recover himself, the monk grabbed the little cup that Tasuki had been using and poured a minuscule amount of sake into it, sipping delicately. " He was the Emperor after all..." 

" Yeah. He was. He was prissy, incredibly one minded and so vain that sometimes I wished I could just crack that mirror over that pretty head of his, or cut off his hair just so that he'd stop fussing about it all the time but most of all, he was the Emperor and no matter what he did or how hard he tried to fit in, we never forgot that and that...that hurt him..." Tasuki whispered, a soft smile playing on his lips as he remembered the former Emperor in all of his glory. The one good thing that came out of someone dying young and suddenly was that you always remembered the youthful beauty of the departed person, not a haggard old shell that had tired of life, and Hotohori had been just as beautiful the day that he had died as he had been when he had first come into his life. " I wasn't able to see past that at first but eventually, eventually I did. He was the one that taught me that when you loved someone, what that person is has nothing to do with it, whether he was an Emperor, or just some Mountain Bandit 'cos what you know with your mind doesn't effect the way that you feel. You just love when you have to and in Hotohori's case, I just had to..."   


~**~ 

The cry of surprise pierced the still, morning air. Tasuki stood with Chiriko, half immersed in the water of the lake. They exchanged looks of trepidation with each other as they realized who it was that they had doused with water, Chiriko poised and ready to make a dash for it in case the poor victim decided to retaliate. " Errr...Hotohori-sama!" the sandy haired boy flashed the man his most charming smile, " So sorry, sir! It was Tasuki. He thought you were Nuriko. It was Okama-chan that we meant to...uh...wet. So sorry for the mistake!" 

Tasuki glared at him, his fangs slightly exposed pissed off at the fact that the little flute-boy was putting all the blame on him, which was exactly what Hotohori was likely to do seeing as how the others all thought Chiriko was such a nice kid when in truth he could be as much of a hell raiser as he himself was, and seething at the use of ' Okama-chan' in reference to the purple haired seishi. After all, though the others weren't aware of it, he was an ' Okama-chan ' too. 

Hotohori stood silently by the edge of the lake, holding his dripping sleeves out to his sides. " Quite all right, Chiriko, Tasuki. Though I doubt that Nuriko would like having water thrown all over him much more than I do or appreciate being called ' Okama-chan.' " 

" No Hotohori-sama, you're right." the little rat agreed readily, to Tasuki's disgust. He knew that his anger wouldn't last for long though. Chiriko may be a complicated brat but he was also a good friend of his, much like Nuriko was. He wondered if it would matter to him, and to the others if they found out about his ' peculiarity '. Would Chiriko still be comfortable enough with him to bathe in his company as he was doing now? Not that he felt any attraction to the boy. He was cute enough, but not really his type. 

" Well, Hotohori-sama. What brings you out here?" Tasuki asked, lowering himself into the lake's cool water and sending a shimmering spray flying towards Chiriko, who soon retaliated with his own barrage. " Fed up with trying ta get a word outta Mitsukake? Miaka been disgusting you with her amazing lack of table manners or has Nuriko constantly staring at yah finally driven yah up the wall?" His fellow seishi's obsession with the man was a constant source of amusement for him, though he could understand why he was so taken with him. Hotohori was pretty good looking. A bit too solemn for Tasuki's liking though. 

" No. I didn't think anybody was down here so I thought I would take a bath myself." for the first the Tasuki noticed the bundle of clothes in his arms. 

" Oh! In that case, come in here and keep Tasuki company, Hotohori-sama!" Chiriko rose to his feet and began to make his way back to where he had left his clothes. Tasuki noticed, not without some amusement, that Hotohori had carefully averted his gaze from the boy's nakedness. What a prude! He thought. " If I stay in there any longer, I'll get all wrinkled and look disgusting." 

" And what make's yah think you don't look disgusting now, wuss?" 

" Shut up, Tasuki-kun." Chiriko told him with a laugh as he began to pull on his clothes. 

Tasuki looked inquiringly at Hotohori as the boy strolled back towards the direction of Tamahome's home, where they were spending the night before they made their was to the Capital City of Kounan where Nuriko had told them that they would meet the Emperor, though Tasuki didn't believe him since he had noticed the amused glint in his eyes as he had mentioned this. " You coming in, Hotohori-sama?" 

He shook his head, busy with wringing water out of his hair. " No. I think I'll wait until you're finished, Tasuki." 

The bandit smirked. " Whatsa matter? Yah got somethin' ta hide or what?" 

Hotohori stopped fiddling with his hair and turned his full attention on his fellow seishi. " Now what could I possibly have to hide?" he demanded. His vanity had caused him to fall right into Tasuki's trap. 

He shrugged nonchalantly as he ran his hand through the water, realizing that this was the first time that he had even come close to a light hearted conversation with Hotohori, who kept mostly to himself whenever he was not hovering over Miaka. " I dunno. You tell me. I mean, why are yah so shy about taking a measly bath? I was just thinking that maybe it was 'cos your body was covered in pimples or something." 

Hotohori's eyebrow flew almost out of his forehead. " Of course not! I don't like what you're implying." his mouth drew down into a small frown. 

Tasuki turned his back to him and concentrated on working up a substantial lather in his hair. " Fine then. You go ahead and do whatever you like, Hotohori-sama. I hafta warn yah, though, that I'm gonna be here for a while so you're gonna have a long wait unless yah wanna come join me now." He paused, knowing that this would clinch it once and for all, " It's all right though if yah don't. You must be feeling shy, I mean, seeing the incredible shape that I'm in and knowing that your body doesn't even come close to the perfection of mine!" In his mind he gave himself an imaginary pat on the back for being able to manipulate the older seishi so easily. 

How dare he imply that there was something wrong with him? Forgetting his initial hang-up, Hotohori wriggled out of his red outer tunic and set it on the ground. Of course none of what Tasuki said had any truth to them. He had always been vey proud of the fine shape that he was in and he was going to wipe that smug smile off his face. His shirt was next to go but his hands hesitated when it came to the draw string of his pants, his cheeks flushing a bright red. He had never been naked in front of anybody before, except for servants but then they didn't really matter. This was Tasuki here, a fellow seishi and immensely different from the kowtowing chamberlains that tended to him in his bath. 

The man in question turned around to face him once more, Tasuki momentarily forgetting what he was about to say when he saw Hotohori, his breath catching in his throat as he took in the graceful lines and planes of his body and the smooth, pale skin, which, despite of what he had implied, was completely without blemish. He cleared his throat uncomfortably, afraid of what might come out of his mouth and desperately wishing that he hadn't baited the man the way he had. After a while, he realized that he had been staring at him for some time already. Luckily enough, Hotohori hadn't noticed as he was busy working the piece of cloth that he used to tie his hair back out of a few tangles. " Well, what are you waiting for? I...won't jump on you or anything. I'm not Nuriko." But I can definitely see why Nuriko might be tempted to do so...Tasuki told himself, turning away so that he wouldn't have to look at him anymore, afraid of what might come over him if he didn't. 

Hotohori stumbled over something that lay at the bottom of the lake but before he could fall face first into the water, Tasuki reached out and steadied him. He let out a soft laugh at his clumsiness and the bandit couldn't help noticing how it made his already beautiful face even more radiant. This was the first time that he had ever heard the guy laugh even though they had known each other for several weeks by then and he wished that he would do it more often. " Here, yah got something in your hair..." he murmured, coming closer to him and removing the twig from within the mass of dark locks, his senses being taken over completely by his scent. " Got it." he announced, as he stepped away from his fellow seishi and resumed his bathing, trying not to be too aware of Hotohori's close proximity.   


_" Yah probably think I'm some sorta pervert scoping the guy out while he was taking a bath like that but shit, Chiri! he was so _beautiful! _If you had been there, if you had seen him then...Gods. Complete and utter perfection, he was! Perfection..._

_" Seeing him like that...Shit. I wanted him so badly! But I knew that even though he managed to hide the fact, he was uncomfortable about Nuriko's affections and who knew how he'd react if I tried anything? He isn't exactly the approachable type either, which didn't help a fuckin' bit. So since it was obvious that I had about as much chance with him as I did with that tight assed Seiryuu creep Nakago, not that I wanted blondie or anything, just a figure o' speech, I was all for forgetting about him. Especially after I found out that he was the fucking Emperor of Kounan! Damn, when I found that out, I just froze in my boots and remembered all the things that I ever said and did to him! I was sure that I was dead. Anyways, I thought it would be easy to avoid him and all, seeing how enormous the Palace was and that he spent most of his time going over business stuff instead of hanging out with us, if I avoided him, then I wouldn't be tempted to do anything so I lay low for a coupla days and managed to do just that but then there was that day when you were all too busy with your own business to hang out with me..."_   


_~**~_

" So? Whaddya say, Nuriko-chan?" 

Nuriko tipped his head to one side and pretended to mull Tasuki's offer over. " No." 

" Awww! Come on! I need somebody ta come with me!" he whined, pulling vainly on the smaller seishi's arm, unable to budge him at all, " If yah go out to the city with me, you can buy a pretty gown or all those girl stuff that you use to cross dress!" 

He jerked his arm away suddenly, sending Tasuki flying against Chichiri, who was sitting cross legged on the floor. " In case you haven't noticed, Tasuki, I've given up girl's clothes and I know you. You're just going to pull me into the nearest tavern, get stinking drunk and have me carry you home!" 

" Chichiri?" 

The monk straightened his mask which had gone askew when the bandit had barreled into him. " I'm a monk, no da." 

" And what the fuck does that have to do with it?" Tasuki demanded, longing to get out of the Palace walls but not wanting to go out into the city on his own. He didn't know how Nuriko could have managed to stay in the place for more than a year without going crazy. He had only been here for a couple of days and already he was sick of the constant inactivity. 

" Monks don't make it a habit to frequent taverns,no da." 

Finally, Tasuki turned to Chiriko, his last hope, and grabbed his arm before he could say anything.   
"You're coming with me, kid." 

" Oh, no he's not!" Nuriko declared, grabbing his other arm and pulling him away. " I don't want you turning sweet little Chiriko into a drunkard! He's only fifteen! You can't take a fifteen year old boy into a bar where all sorts of sleazy things go on!" 

Tasuki scowled. " I was drinking way before that! Time you learned to be a man, Chiriko-kun and you won't be able to do that with Nuriko, now will you?" 

" Tasuki, for your safety, I suggest you get yourself out of here before I get up from this chair..." Nuriko told him sweetly, a hint of warning on his tone of voice. " If you want to have a drink so desperately, Hotohori-sama has a fine stock of sake. Much better than any of the things that you would find in a tavern! Or just go out to the city yourself! After all, you're a big, strong, independent bandit, aren't you?" 

" Fuck it! None of you are any fun! Sometimes I think the Seiryuu seishi would make better companions than you lot!" He heard Chiriko snort at his last comment before he slammed the door with as much force as he could muster. Dammit! What was he supposed to do now? He had had his heart set on an outing with one of his friends. He had always liked to have somebody with him while he was drinking he wished Kouji was here. He would make a great drinking partner, along with other things. He hadn't been with anybody for weeks now and it was driving him crazy, especially since after he had become painfully aware of Hotohori. Emperor Hotohori now, he reminded himself with a wry smile at the hopelessness of it all. 

It was as though thinking of him had conjured him up. The Emperor was only a few yards down the hallway from the room that the seishi now used as a gathering place, leaning against the railing. Tasuki, remembering the pact that he had made with himself of avoiding the man was about to pass him by when he was struck by how lonely he looked. Without a word, he plopped himself down beside him and tried to put the images of Hotohori in the lake that had suddenly come into his mind at the sight of him.   
"Hey, Hotohori-sama" 

" Hello, Tasuki." 

" You planning on going in to see those fu-...I meant, them?" He managed to catch himself just in time. He had always toned down his swearing in front of him, even before he had found out about him being the Emperor. It just didn't seem right to say anything obscene in the presence of someone so obviously refined and high born. 

" No. I just found myself with some time in my hands." He had wanted to, had actually been about to but they had sounded so happy and raucous in the room and he hadn't wanted to spoil that. His fellow seishi all immediately seemed to watch their behaviour whenever he was around, as though they were afraid of offending him, as was the case with Tasuki even now. 

" That's good then. You never seem to have any time to yourself." 

" On the contrary, I have far more than I desire." Hotohori said, unable to keep the bitterness from his voice as he recalled his leisure hours that were spent reading in his room or practicing with his sword. 

" Oh." Tasuki scuffed his boots against the floor, not knowing what to say to this, finally deciding that the subject was best to be avoided. " I was gonna go out to the city but none of the guys wanted ta come with me...And I really wanted ta go too but I don't wanna go alone." 

" Nuriko has always enjoyed outings." Hotohori suggested. 

The bandit sighed. " I asked him but he said no. Mitsukake's busy washing plants for medicine or some crap like that. Chichiri can't 'cos he's a monk and neither can Chiriko 'cos Nuriko says he's too young." and fuck them all, he added silently. 

" You haven't asked me yet." 

Tasuki gaped at him openly, unable to believe that he had actually heard those five simple words. Surely Hotohori-sama, Emperor of Kounan-koku was not suggesting that he might want to accompany him! "You, Kotei Heika?" he asked doubtfully. 

Hotohori took his disbelief for aversion to the idea of him tagging along after him. " It's quite all right if you say no. I can't say I blame you. I'm not exactly the cheeriest of companions and I would be a burden." He turned his face away so that Tasuki wouldn't see his dissapointment. He had hoped to get to know this man better. His outgoing personality appealed to him. 

" No. It's not that!" Tasuki put in hurriedly, thinking that despite of himself, he had been hoping to be able to spend some time alone with Hotohori, which was almost impossible what with Imperial Advisors fellow seishi and a Miko constantly underfoot. " It's just that, the place I'll be going to isnt exactly one you'd take an Emperor to..." 

" Even better." 

Tasuki shrugged. " Fine then. If yah feel up ta it, why not? I'd hate to have those advisors of yours suddenly noticing that you'd gone and thinking that I kidnapped yah or something though!" 

" They won't notice." Hotohori reassured him. He was sure that they wouldn't come after him since he had canceled Afternoon Court sessions with the excuse of feeling a little under the weather. " Let's go then." he began to walk off but was stopped by Tasuki who had suddenly grabbed his sleeve. 

" Wait a second. We're not gonna get anywhere with you dressed like that!" Tasuki pointed out, wrinkling his nose at the ridiculously elaborate outfit. 

Hotohori looked down at his outfit. " What's the matter with my clothes?" he demanded. Tasuki wasn't one to talk. The great black over coat was not to the Emperor's taste either. 

" Hotohori-sama. I dunno how much yah know about the people of Kounan but it should be pretty obvious that none of 'em would go wandering about the Capital City decked out the way you are!" Tasuki explained, wondering if his spare clothes would fit on the taller man, he added without thinking " And I am most definitely not going to go out with some guy that looks like and over dressed duck!"   


_" You shoulda seen the look on his face when I made that duck comment! It was priceless! I...I laugh every time I think about it! Hmmm...Sorry it took me so long to get myself together again...He just looked so fucking funny! Yah know Hotohori could be a lotta fun when he got it into his mind to be!_

_"Well, after he'd gotten changed, we went out inta the city. He was looking around like some big kid in festival time, as though being out and about there was new to him and it probably was. He told me that he had never gone out into the city by himself, without escorts and all that crap. We were stopping every step to look at the things that they were selling at the stalls, every little thing fascinated him. He was so cute! After he'd wound down enough, I took him into a tavern and I got myself a drink, he didn't want one, and we talked. Nicest talk I'd ever had with anybody._

_" I told him about my family, about my ma and how she almost suffocated me with those gigantic boobs of hers and how it turned me off milk for the rest of my life. Then he told me about his and ta tell yah the truth, it didn't sound as though he had the happiest family life. He had a control freak for a mother and half brothers and sisters that he barely even knew. Can you believe that? Not knowing your own brothers and sisters? Poor thing..._

_" Anyways, seeing him like that, being able to talk to him...It just made me realize that no matter how hard I tried to kid myself, I was gonna have a bloody rough time trying ta forget him...I couldn't. Not after I realized just how fucking lonely his whole life was...How hard he's had it...Before, I may have just been attracted to him 'cos I just wanted him...I wanted him so badly it hurt but after that time out in the city, It just showed me how easy it was to love someone like him. _

_"It was afterwards, when we'd gotten back to the Palace and Nuriko'd finished interrogating me about what I had been doing going off with Hotohori-sama like that, when I was just thinking in my room that I finally admitted to myself that I was falling for the guy and ta tell yah the truth, Chiri, the thought scared me outta my mind! He was nothing like the other guys that I'd ever been with. Nothing at all like Kouji and I didn't know what I was supposed ta do. It had been easy with that bastard, I just grabbed him and kissed him and we went from there but I couldn't very well do that to Hotohori. He was different. Special to me. That would have scared him off and I didn't want that. I thought that even if we couldn't ever be anything more than friends and fellow seishi, I would be satisfied with just being that and nothing more but I still had to give it a go. I couldn't let him get away without at least trying but shit, if he didn't want Nuriko who was such a looker and a lot more refined than I was, what kinda chance did some Mountain Bandit have?_

_" I tried ta keep away from him after that, at least until I figured out what the hell I should do. Every time he ran into me and wanted ta talk, I'd make some excuse and I could tell that he was pretty hurt by that but I couldn't do anything else, now could I? I managed to avoid him pretty well until that time that Nuriko took MIaka to the star gazing festival and he came ta me and asked me if somethin' was wrong..."_   


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10:52 AM 05/31/01

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	2. Part Two

Unlikely Couple Part Two   
  
  


Unlikely Couple   
Part Two   
By: Laree McKenzie   
Please send all comments to lareemackie@hotmail.com 

He had been sitting there listening to Tasuki talking for several hours by then. It was late into the night as the red haired bandit continued his reminiscing and still the crowd in the bar showed no sign of thinning out. Chichiri didn't exactly know what to make of any of it. Now that he mentioned it though, he seemed to recall that Tasuki had tended to disappear a lot during that time, keeping to himself, which was totally uncharacteristic of the outgoing seishi. 

" Anyways, it was just after we'd found Amiboshi out. For some reason, Miaka had gotten it into that head of hers to break up with Tamahome so Nuriko thought that a trip out to the city for the festival would cheer her up a little, he was always thinking about other people, that Nuriko. Always pretending to be so cheerful even though he was really hurting and I guess he was part of my reason for not wanting to act on my feelings for Hotohori 'cos even though he spent most of his time bashing me into walls and pounding me into the ground, I knew that he was one of the best friends that I had ever had and he loved the Emperor so much!" Tasuki shook his head as he recalled the turmoil that he had been in back then, " It didn't seem right ta do somethin' like that. So then Nuriko took Miaka out into the city and Tamahome came pestering me to come along with him to spy on them but I didn't feel up to it so I told him to go by himself. I was out in the gardens then, by one of the ponds and a while after Tamahome had gone, Hotohori-sama came..."   


~**~ 

" Last chance, fang boy." 

" Dammit Tamahome! Get the fuck away from me!" Tasuki growled, throwing a handful of grass towards the grinning seishi, " I already told yah to go and spy on Miaka by yourself! Get it into that thick skull of yours that I. Don't. Want. To. Go!" 

" Aw, come on! You usually love to go out to the city!" as an afterthought, he added, " And it's festival time. There'll be sake. Lots of sake!" 

" I don't want sake. Go 'way and leave me alone, dammit!" 

Tamahome gaped at Tasuki openmouthed. " Since when have you started to renounce sake? What's the matter with you, Tasuki? You haven't been yourself for the past few days." 

" Nuthin's the matter with me." He growled. 

" Is it because of Chiriko? Amiboshi, I mean. I know he was really close to you and all that." 

Tasuki sighed, knowing that he wouldn't be left alone until Tamahome had gotten some sort of answer.   
" Yeah, Tama. That's it. I'm all fucked up 'cos of what Chi-Amiboshi did." and he wasn't exactly lying. That Amiboshi had betrayed them, pretended to be their friend, only to turn around and try to stab them in the back but he had really been a genuinely nice guy and hadn't deserved to die like that. 

" He was a nice kid. Too bad about what happened to him." 

" Yah, so now, since we've had our little heart to heart, would you just go away and go after that idiot miko?" the bandit snapped, slamming himself back down onto the grass with more force than he had intended. He heard the sound of retreating footsteps. " Finally!" he muttered as he buried his hand into the cool grass and trained his eyes onto the night sky which was filled with bright little pin pricks of light. 

After a while, he was able to make out his constellation, his own little piece of the sky. " Hey there, Tasuki!" He said, not caring how stupid he must sound, talking to a groups of stars like that. 

" Hey there, Tasuki!" A voice nearby echoed. 

" What the fuck!? Dammit Tamahome! I told yah already that I don't wanna go with yah so get your bloody ass movin' before I fry yah, dammit!" He didn't get up from his position on the grass. Twisting his head slightly, he was faced with the familiar duck shoes, as he referred to them, and a wall of red silk. 

" I'll go now, then. I just saw you and I thought...Well, never mind." 

" I just thought you were Tamahome, Hotohori-sama." Tasuki explained apologetically, his heart racing madly. He hadn't seen the Emperor since after Taiitskun had given them those presents. " I'm sorry. I'll go away now, so that you can stay here and-" 

" No. Don't." Hotohori cut in hurriedly, not wanting to let him get away this time. " Were you talking to yourself?" 

" Aw, just being stupid. Talking to the stars." his face flushed slightly as he admitted this. It was uncomfortable looking up at Hotohori like this, since he was lying down on his back, his view of the man was upside down so he reached up suddenly and grabbed hold of his trailing sleeve. " I think you would be more comfortable sitting down, Heika." 

Deciding that it didn't really matter if he got grass stains on his robe since he had plenty more in his closet, Hotohori did as Tasuki had suggested, carefully arranging the folds of the heavy fabric around him. " Where did Tamahome want you to accompany him?" 

" Aw, the bastard just wanted me ta help him spy on Miaka." Tasuki explained. 

" Spy on Miaka?" 

" Yeah. They're having a bit of trouble. Again." Tasuki chuckled, then added as nonchalantly as he could, " Now's your chance to make a play for her, yah know, Heika." 

Hotohori watched him as he pulled himself up into a sitting position. " I don't think so. Miaka...She's happy with Tamahome. I'm sure they'll work it out. They always do." 

" So you don't like her anymore?" 

" I'll always _like_ Miaka, Tasuki. It's hard not to. But I'm not as smitten with her as I used to be." Hotohori shrugged, not knowing when exactly this change had come about, " We have to move on to other prospects once we see that there's pretty much no more hope. But I'm happy for her and Tamahome. Truly." 

So do I have any hope with you or should I just move on? Tasuki asked silently as Hotohori removed the crown from his head and sent his long, dark hair tumbling down his back in glossy waves. It was a pity that he always wore layer after layer of robes that succeeded nicely in hiding the great body that Tasuki knew he had. " Any prospects then, Hotohori-sama?" 

Hotohori wrinkled his nose in distaste. " Quite a lot, actually. My advisors have compiled a list of the most suitable partners for me and I suppose that sooner or later I will have to actually look it over and choose one to be my Empress." 

" You're gonna choose someone ta marry outta some list?" Tasuki demanded, horrified at the thought of such an arrangement. 

" I get to see them, of course. They're in the Inner Palace anyway, like Nuriko was before we found out the...well, that he was a seishi." Hotohori sighed, " That's the way things are done here. Emperors don't marry out of love. I suppose that's why the ones before me tended to keep so many mistresses." 

" You can, you know. You've been holdin' out pretty well so far so I reckon you can put those advisors of yours off until you find someone you can care for." 

" But I don't think I ever will." Hotohori told him softly, " What I'm looking for...I don't think I'll find it in any woman in this world..." 

" Then go out and try ta find yourself a man!" Oh Gods! Had he really said that? Tasuki would have gladly hit himself over the head with his Tessen for that little piece of idiocy that had spouted from his mouth. Why was it that the things he was thinking in his head always seemed to come out of him even when he didn't mean for them to? 

To his surprise, Hotohori just smiled. " I wouldn't be the first Emperor to do so, so yes, why not?" 

Tasuki pondered over this reaction, wondering if this was some subtle sort of invitation for him to try his luck. Damn the ways of the court! You always had to be so touchy feely and learn to read carefully into seemingly innocent sentences for some sort of hidden meaning that was nearly always there. He wasn't used to the art of subtlety and wished that the people here could be straightforward for once and just say right off what they meant. 

" I'm glad that you seem to have gotten over your phase of avoiding me as though I were the bearer of some deadly plague." Hotohori told him, his tone as light as he could manage. He didn't want Tasuki to know how much he had agonized over the cold treatment that he had gotten over the past few days, how much he had wanted to be in his cheerful company again. " What has been happening with you?" 

" Me? I've mainly been thinking." The bandit admitted, willing to elaborate further about his thoughts if given the slightest sign from the Emperor. 

" What about?" 

Here was the sign but did he really want to go along with it? There was an instant of awkward silence as Tasuki went through the pros and cons of revealing his true feelings for his fellow seishi. As it dragged on, a sense of mild panic suffused him as he realized that he was ruining what might turn out to be a romantic moment with his inability to open his mouth and talk. " I was thinking about you." he finally blurted out as he forced himself to look into the warm hazel eyes that were so nearby. That didn't get any reactions, favorable or otherwise so he decided to press on. " I...I was thinking about you, Hotohori-sa...About you, Hotohori...And...And how it might feel to do this..." slowly, so that he wouldn't startle him, Tasuki reached out rather hesitantly and pushed a lock of long, dark hair back behind one delicate ear, allowing his finger to trail lightly along a smooth and rather flushed cheek. 

Gods how he wished the guy would at least say something and not just stare at him wide eyed like some kid that didn't know what the hell to make of the situation before him! Still, at least he was making no effort to push him away. " You're beautiful. You know that?" he asked, his voice husky with emotion. 

Hotohori's lips parted slightly and Tasuki watched with anticipation as he began to speak..." I know..." 

For a second, the bandit wanted to throttle the man for ruining the moment with his incredible vanity, wanted to let out a few choice words and tell him that he was the most insufferable little narcissist he had ever met in his entire life but he managed to calm down after a few deep breaths. All right. That had been a stupid question. It was pretty obvious from the way he carried on that Hotohori was perfectly aware of his physical attractiveness. He would have to make a note never to mention that again. Maybe it would be better for him to stop speaking. Making up his mind, Tasuki cupped Hotohori's chin into his hand and pressed his lips firmly against his, muffling out the slightly frenzied speech that he had been making about his nightly beauty regime and how important it was to get a good nights sleep. Gently, he coaxed his lips apart and he found the sweetness of Hotohori's mouth, vaguely noticing that his breath had a fresh, clean odor. 

For the first time Hotohori took note of the bandit's slim, well muscled body, which wasn't quite as perfect as his, of course, he couldn't help thinking, even at that moment, but it definitely came very close. Almost involuntarily, he put his arms around him and pulled him closer as waves of pleasure flowed over him and the last of his fears at what was about to happen melted away from him. Still, his common sense got the better of him and much to Tasuki's surprise and dismay, he pulled away, slightly breathless. " Tasuki...I...I don't think this is right...I'm not supposed to-" 

He silenced him with a rough kiss. Turning a deaf ear to Hotohori's half hearted protests, he took the older seishi by the hand, pulled him to his feet and began to lead him to his room even as Hotohori pointed out that he had left his crown by the pond. 

" Tasuki, really. As much as I might want to I don't really think this is app-" 

" Then don't think, Hotohori. Just feel..." He murmured as he led him through his open doorway.   


_" I'm not gonna elaborate on that anymore. Let's just say that it was a bit awkward, It _was_ his first time so you couldn't really expect that much. He was scared, hesitant and didn't really know what to do with himself but despite all of that, I can honestly say that he was the best that I had ever had. He got better in time too. It took a week to prepare for that trip to Hokkan and through that time, we tried to slip off together as much as we possibly could. I couldn't get enough of him. I loved him so much!___

_" I spent the night with him before we left for Hokkan and the next day, it was so early that the sun hadn't even come up yet, Hotohori was dressing so that he could get back to his room and I guess that he musta thought that I was still sleeping cos he sat down by the edge of the bed, kissed me on the cheek and told me that he loved me, that the time that he had spent with me meant more to him than anything in this world that I'd given him what he had been looking for, a sense of being desirable, of being loved for himself and a feeling that he hadn't wasted his whole life trying to please other people and making a horrible job of it. That was when he said it, it's stuck into my mind after all this time, though I suppose that a year isn't really that long...That was when he said that when you loved someone, what that person is has nothing to do with it, 'cos what you know with your mind doesn't effect the way that you feel. That you just love when you have to.___

_" After that, he went on about how much he wanted to be able to stay with me but how that wasn't possible because his life wasn't his to live alone. He had to live for everybody in Kounan, for all his people, had to put them first before himself in everything he did because that was the life that he had been born to, wealth, beauty, power but behind it all, he was really nothing more than a servant for his country. He apologized after that and he left.___

_" I never took any of that crap seriously. I guess I just thought that he was being all emotional. I had managed to delude myself into thinking that something could come out of it, that it wasn't just a temporary fling and that we had a future. Half baked ideas about me staying in the Palace to be with him or taking him off to Mount Reikaku was in my mind, but what did I really expect? That he'd be there for me to love? Though at that time, I didn't realize how stupid that thought was, I didn't want him to belong to anyone but me. That was why I went so crazy after we came back from Hokkan and found out about that Houki...I was furious. It was insanity. It was then that I realized that I couldn't ever have Hotohori to myself and I couldn't bear the idea that someone else could..."_   
__ __

_~**~___

" What the fuck are you playing at?"

At the sound of Tasuki's outrage, The Emperor Hotohori calmly counted to ten, composing himself for the confrontation that he knew was coming. " Tasuki. I was expecting you. Close the door, please."   
Seething at his outward calm, Tasuki stalked over to the door and slammed the door shut with all his might, thinking that he would be able to crack the veneer of self confidence if he made enough noise.

" I take it your not happy with something I have done."

" How the fuck can you just _sit_ there?" the red head hissed, " What the hell possessed you to do this? What the fuck was going through your mind when you decided to marry that whore? Bloody hell, Hotohori! Was that bucket hat of yours constricting the flow of blood to your brain, dammit?"

" She's the Empress, Tasuki. I would prefer it if you would not refer to her in such an insulting manner." Hotohori told him coolly as he straightened a pile of papers before him on his desk, " As for why, I am under no obligations to explain my actions to you."

" The hell you aren't." beside himself with anger at his lover's betrayal, the bandit grabbed hold of Hotohori's wrist and shook him roughly.

Hotohori jerked away, hurt and angry at being handled in such a manner, especially by Tasuki who had always been so gentle and patient with him. " How dare you touch me in such a way? You can't do that! I'm the-"

Tasuki laughed bitterly. " So now you start pulling rank after all the time you came running ta me to complain 'bout how the others never seem to be able ta forget that you're the fucking Emperor? That's great, Hotohori! That's so fucking great of you, you hypocrite!"

" That's unfair." Hotohori said softly.

" What's unfair is that with no warning whatsoever, you just go right ahead and marry the first girl that comes along!"

" Lady Houki seemed to be the most suitable. I took the match under very serious consideration."

" Oh, that makes me feel a _whole_ lot better, Hotohori!" Tasuki clapped his hands together in mock delight. " I come back from a really long journey where two of my friends died because of those fucking Seiryuu, who I hope will all burn in hell for all the fucking stunts that they pulled, only to find that the person I love has married himself off without the slightest warning! But everything's okay, since he took the fucking match under very serious consideration. Fuck consideration! Fuck _everything_!"

Hotohori's composure cracked slightly at the mention of Nuriko and Chiriko and at the way that Tasuki had referred to him as the person that he had loved. " Tasuki, it wasn't a very easy thing to do, but I had to do it. Don't you see? I couldn't very well let the country go out to war without ensuring the Imperial lineage, could I? Just in case."

" So she's pregnant?"

" Yes."

Tasuki ran his hand over his face, wishing that he hadn't asked that question. It had only given him one more reason to hate the beautiful new Empress. " How could you do this to me? I thought I meant something to you."

" You did, Tasuki and you always will but we both knew that it wouldn't last. That it was a temporary thing."

" I didn't think it was temporary." the Bandit snapped.

Hotohori picked up a piece of paper off the top of the pile and pretended to be absently skimming over it so that he wouldn't have to look into amber eyes filled with hurt and accusation where before, he had only seen love and happiness. " It was fun while it lasted, Tasuki. Now let's forget about that little piece of insanity, on my part." he pretended not to have noticed the flash of pain that had crossed his fellow seishi's face. " I made a mistake. I should never have let myself be involved with you in such a way. I was weak willed and foolish and I wish that I had never allowed myself to act on my impulsive feelings. I really wish that we could forget about this all, Tasuki-san."

He wouldn't give Hotohori the satisfaction of seeing how much his cold dismissal had hurt him. Making a conscious effort to stand up straighter and to place a smirk on his face, Tasuki said bitingly. " Consider it forgotten, _Kotei Heika_." before sweeping out of the study and making his way back to his room, on the way managing to vent out his frustrations on Tamahome by hitting him over the head with his Tessen.

If he had stayed a while longer, he would have seen the tear that had fallen onto the piece of paper that the Emperor held.   


~**~

" As soon as I was safely locked into my room, I was bawling like a fucking newborn, Chichiri because I seriously had thought that the two of us had had something there. That he loved me but the way that he just told me to forget it all, it didn't seem as though he had cared at all, as though none of it really mattered to him." Tasuki tipped the last of the sake into his mouth. By this time, he couldn't even taste it anymore. "He tried ta apologize after that. The day before...before his battle with Nakago, he came to me and told me that he had made a mistake. That he was sorry and that even though he tried as hard as he could to deny it, he still loved me and always would and that it was always me on his mind. He told me that even if he was married, we could work it out somehow. That he could maybe arrange thing so that we could be together, after all, he'd pretty much fulfilled his duty what with Houki pregnant. He told me that we could talk things over after we came back from battle and I agreed to that, but we both know the ending to this story. We never did have the opportunity to work it out..."

" No. You didn't." Chichiri murmured, aghast at the thought that Tasuki had had to keep all this to himself for all that time.

" But I was there for him when he went, Chiri. We both were. That was important ta me but fuck it, Chichiri! Why'd he have ta die like that? Why'd he have ta go with me angry at him? I never even got the chance ta tell him that I loved him so much that I didn't even give a flying fuck anymore whether or not I had ta share him with anybody else as long as he was with me?" Tasuki slammed his fist against the table in his frustration. " Now I'll never get the chance ta see him again! Ta tell him all this stuff that I just told you!"

" You're wrong about thinking that you'll never see him again, no da."

" Dammit, Chichiri! He's fucking _dead_!" Tasuki pointed out with his characteristic bluntness.

" Yes, but that time in the Miko's world, we saw him again, right?" Chichiri pointed out, " No matter how brief, he was there and I'm sure that later on, maybe in the next life, all of us will be together again. Together like we were before. Then you'll have a chance again. Another chance, and another and another, no da. Because two souls that belong with one another always find a way to get back together, no matter what. They'll be able to transcend death and time, like Tamahome and Miaka because our guardian, Suzaku is the god of love and he will always find a way. Especially for two of his chosen."

Tasuki let out a small smile, " Yah know, Chiri, for a guy who has a speech impediment and no idea about hair styling, yah sure know how ta make a bandit feel better."

" I have always been gifted in that aspect, no da." Chichiri agreed, pulling him gently to his feet. " Now what do you say we go up to our room and pray for Hotohori-sama's happy rebirth?"

Tasuki nodded and since he was unsteady on his feet, allowed Chichiri to lead him back to their room. Surreptitiously, he slipped a hand into the pocket of his overcoat, his fingers brushing against the smooth surface of something that the Maiden had given Hotohori before their departure to Hokkan. It was slightly crumpled and was smeared with dirt and a bit of dried blood but he could still see the smiling face of the Emperor Saihitei, Hotohori in the much handled photograph.

Taking it out into view, Tasuki gently touched his fingertips to the image of Hotohori's face before bringing it up to his lips, glad for the time that they had had together. No matter how brief.   
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